AMD to Tape Out First 20nm, 14nm FinFET Chips Within Next Two Quarters

Advanced Micro Devices said Thursday that it would tape out the first products to be manufactured using 14nm FinFET and 20nm planar process technologies in the coming quarters. The company did not elaborate on actual products, but the names of the process technologies do indicate that the chip designer will work with both GlobalFoundries and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

“We are typically at the leading edge across the technology nodes. We are fully top-top-bottom in 28nm now across all of our products, and we are transitioning to both 20nm and to FinFETs over the next couple of quarters in terms of designs. So we will continue to do that across our foundry partners. […] We will do 20nm first and then we will go to FinFETs,” said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of global business units at AMD, during quarterly conference call with financial analysts.

The high-ranking executive from AMD did not reveal any additional details about the products planned or exact process technologies. Given the timing, Ms. Su referred to TSMC’s 20nm process technology that is going online in February ’14 and that is likely to be used to manufacture AMD’s next-generation graphics processing units. In addition, AMD will use 14nm-XM FinFET process technology from GlobalFoundries to make certain low-power products. 14nm-XM should enter mass production stage sometimes in calendar 2014.

While AMD did mention 20nm and 14nm FinFET process technologies, it does not mean that products made using both will actually be available in 2014. Most likely the company will only tape-out new products that will reach the market in late 2014 or early 2015. Virtually all AMD roadmaps indicate that the vast majority of AMD 2014 products will be made using 28nm and 32nm SOI process technologies. Still, the company will likely introduce new graphics chips made using 20nm fabrication process